Monster Hunter games are always about the power fantasy of hunting and taking down seemingly undefeatable beasts. The latest entry in the Monster Hunter franchise, Monster Hunter Rise, is chock-full of combat options for players to use during their hunting ventures.
Although the game is heavily centered around using various tools and unique and powerful weapons to slay a wide variety of monsters, keeping in line with the previous games in the series, Monster Hunter Rise also features the series' unique mechanics of 'Turf Wars.'
They are sporadic and special battle events that can randomly occur during a hunt, where a monster invades another beast's territory, and both battle it out for the rights to the turf. Usually, the strongest creature wins, with the loser leaving the area.
These super rare events also aid gamers in their hunts as both the monsters, while fighting each other, dish out tremendous amounts of damage to each other and drop rare items that users can collect.
Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and USA Today Crossword Answers
Monster Hunter Rise, just like its predecessor Monster Hunter World, is filled with a handful of such unique encounters.
Note: This article reflects the author's opinions.
Seven most gorgeous monster vs monster battles in Monster Hunter Rise
1) Magnamalo vs Rathalos
Magnamalo is the flagship monster for Monster Hunter Rise. The huge and hulking fanged Wyvern sports features that resemble a tiger, and it has enormous and sharp fangs and strong claws that it uses to attack its foes.
Magnamalo also has a long tail with a spear-like tip with three spikes that flex outwards to form a trident-like shape.
Rathalos, on the other hand, is a flying Wyvern with strong wing muscles that enables it to stay airborne for a long time. It can also breathe fire to inflict Fireblight and cause poison damage using its sharp talons.
During their Turf War, Magnamalo charges head first towards Rathalos to try and stagger it. The former can also lunge towards the flying Wyvern and attack it relentlessly with its spear-tipped tail.
Rathalos does get a few chances to deal a significant amount of damage to the fanged Wyvern. However, due to its raw strength and agility surpassing the Rathalos, Magnamalo usually defeats the flying Wyvern.
2) Arzuros vs Tetranadon
Arzuros is a massive bear-like monster capable of using its long, sharp claws and body weight to stagger and pin down its opponents. The monster exhibits an impressive strength while attacking while also being agile and quick for its size.
Meanwhile, Tetranadon is a new monster introduced in Monster Hunter Rise. This monstrous amphibian sports an inflatable belly and a turtle-like shell on its back.
Tetranadon can inflate its belly to the point where it essentially doubles its original size. The monster is known to be pretty territorial and aggressive.
Instances of Tetranadon inflating its belly and trying to swallow Arzuros have been recorded, but the fanged beast is way too powerful for the gluttonous amphibian to consume. Clashes between the two monsters are reasonably common in the Shrine Ruins region of the game.
Although Arzuros can dish out significant amounts of damage to the amphibian, their battle usually ends in favor of Tetranadon, primarily due to the increased attack power and defense in its inflated state.
3) Almudron vs Bishaten
Almudron is another monster that comes new to the franchise with Monster Hunter Rise. This massive Leviathan monster can be found in the bogged areas of the game.
It sports a massive tail that spans nearly half its body length and has feather-like appendages which it uses to attack its opponents.
Most of Almudron's offensive strategies comprise mud-based attacks like creating massive mud waves and mud piles which it uses to trap its foes. The monster also secretes a golden fluid that gives a similar hue to its mud attacks.
Meanwhile, Bishaten, a new monster coming to the franchise with Rise, is a comparatively smaller bat-like fanged beast. The monster has a belly pouch that stores various fruits and also sports a powerful tail that it uses as an extra limb.
The fanged beast can glide for short distances, which it uses to quickly create space from hunters and other monsters. Bishaten can also inflict its enemies with poison and paralysis using different kinds of fruits it stores in its pouch.
During their clash, these monsters attack each other with utmost ferocity. Bishaten, being smaller and more agile, quickly lunges towards the leviathan's head and tail to try and incapacitate it.
But more often than not, the battle between the two often ends in favor of Almudron due to its massive size and ability to trap the fanged beast in its mud piles.
4) Rajang vs Rathian
Rajang is undoubtedly one of the most agile and fastest monsters in the game, with strong arm muscles that allow it to deal massive amounts of damage quickly. Additionally, in its enraged form, it can harness the Thunder element, granting it even more strength and defense while substantially boosting its reflexes.
Rathian, on the other hand, is a female flying Wyvern with similar physiology to its male counterpart, Rathalos. Their attacks and features are identical as well, with strong wings that allow them to stay in the air for extended periods and the ability to inflict Fireblight using their breath and poison using their sharp and long talons. The only difference is the color variation between the two monsters.
Although Rajang appears comparatively smaller in size than Rathian, the fanged beast is capable of going face-to-face against the Wyvern and even ends up winning the battle between the two. Watching Rajang topple Rathian using its tail as an anchor is truly a spectacle.
5) Magnamalo vs Aknosom
Magnamalo, the flagship monster of Monster Hunter Rise, is one of the fiercest and strongest monsters in the game. The fanged Wyvern can go toe-to-toe with some of the most revered monsters in the series, like Rathalos and Diablos, and even end up victorious against them.
Aknosom, on the other hand, is a bird Wyvern that made its debut in the franchise with Monster Hunter Rise. The monster is known to be very territorial and often seen trying to scare away any intruder with its eye-like head-crest.
Aknosom is very agile due to its small stature and lightweight body. It is also capable of hurling fireballs at its opponents, inflicting Fireblight.
Although the bird Wyvern is quite fast and capable of flight, it usually succumbs to Magnamalo's heavy blows using its claws and tail swipes. That's not to say Aknosom easily accepts defeat, as it continuously tries to damage Magnamalo using its Fireblight attacks while keeping to the skies.
It's only because of Magnamalo's unmatched strength and agility that the bird Wyvern gets defeated.
6) Nargacuga vs Anjanath
Despite being of the flying Wyvern class, Nargacuga is rarely seen using its wings for flight. Instead, it uses its wings in conjunction with its pointed tail in combat to deal Bleed damage.
Naragacuga is a massive Panther-like Wyvern that moves at a blazing speed on the battlefield, making it hard for its opponents to keep track of it.
While Nargacuga is an agile and fast-moving monster, Anjanath is a hulking bipedal brute Wyvern. What it lacks in speed and agility, it makes up for it with its brute strength and an enraged form that makes its attacks even more damaging.
The battle between the two titans is a spectacle that can often be witnessed in the Flooded Forest region of the map. Although Anjanath can significantly damage Nargacuga, its slow movement speed makes it quite difficult to hit an agile target like Nargacuga.
Nargacuga also has the advantage of its massive size and flexible vertebrae over Anjanath, which it uses to coil around Anjanath like a snake, immobilizing the brute Wyvern.
7) Diablos vs Diablos
Diablos are unique and interesting monsters in the franchise. These are massive flying Wyverns that surpass even some Elder Dragons when it comes to their size.
These creatures are also known to be some of the most aggressive and territorial in the Monster Hunter series.
These beasts are known to prefer solitude and can usually be found in dark caves and caverns in the desert, where they feed on cacti. These huge, heavily armored flying Wyverns can often be seen attacking monsters like Barroth, who share the same habitat as Diablos.
Most interestingly, though, Diablos often can even be seen battling other Diablos over territory. The Turf War between the same monsters is a sight to behold as they clash their horns and attack each other with their tail spikes.
This battle is one of the best Turf Wars in Monster Hunter Rise because it pits two identical flying Wyverns with the same strengths and weaknesses against each other. The victor is only decided based on which Diablos can land more hits and stay on the battlefield for longer.
Monster Hunter Rise genuinely surprised players with the number of Turf Wars spread across the whole map. With the many new monsters that came with the game, like Magnamalo, Almudron, Tertranadon, etc., getting pitted against some of the classic monsters in the series is truly astonishing.
With a new expansion for Monster Hunter Rise, Sunbreak, on the horizon, users are intrigued to see how many more Turf Wars get added to the game.
Are you stuck on today's Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.